{"id":6524,"date":"2023-07-30T10:36:10","date_gmt":"2023-07-30T10:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=6524"},"modified":"2026-08-21T08:37:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T08:37:13","slug":"dare-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/dare-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Dare County, North Carolina"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dare County is a county in North Carolina, United States, covering the Outer Banks barrier islands and mainland shore of Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. It had a population of 36,915 at the 2020 census and covers 1,541.74 square miles (3,993.1 km2) — most of it open water — centred near 35°37′N 75°46′W.<\/p>\n

Manteo is the county seat, and its postal code is 27954. The county has 6 incorporated towns, 9 census-designated places and several unincorporated communities. Dare County has no civil townships. It observes Eastern time.<\/p>\n

Towns & Villages in Dare County<\/h2>\n

Dare County’s settlements run the length of the Outer Banks from Duck to Hatteras, plus a mainland arm around Manns Harbor and East Lake. Six places are incorporated towns; the rest are unincorporated communities or Census-designated places (CDP).<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Place<\/th>\nType<\/th>\nPop.<\/th>\nZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Manteo<\/td>\nTown · seat<\/td>\n1,839<\/td>\n27954<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kill Devil Hills<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n7,504<\/td>\n27948<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kitty Hawk<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n3,272<\/td>\n27949<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nags Head<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n3,110<\/td>\n27959<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Southern Shores<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n3,335<\/td>\n27949<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Duck<\/td>\nTown<\/td>\n439<\/td>\n27949<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avon<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n485<\/td>\n27915<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Buxton<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n1,151<\/td>\n27920<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frisco<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n571<\/td>\n27936<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hatteras<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n425<\/td>\n27943<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manns Harbor<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n1,067<\/td>\n27953<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rodanthe<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n236<\/td>\n27968<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salvo<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n412<\/td>\n27972<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wanchese<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n1,485<\/td>\n27981<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Waves<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n27982<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Colington Island<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n27948<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
East Lake<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n27953<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Little Kinnakeet<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n27968<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stumpy Point<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n27978<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Duck and Southern Shores share Kitty Hawk’s 27949 ZIP; Colington Island shares Kill Devil Hills’ 27948, and East Lake shares Manns Harbor’s 27953. A handful of names from older local listings — Baumtown, Mother Vineyard, Sanderling, Sea Ridge — describe subdivisions or neighborhoods within Nags Head, Manteo or Southern Shores rather than separate settlements, and are not listed as distinct places here.<\/p>\n

ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n